Izzy
by jksh50
Summary: Doc Bergman is due to retire and the female physician who succeeds him becomes more to Steve than official Five-O doctor.


IZZY

Steve McGarrett and Chin were driven to Queens hospital by a patrolman. They declined the suggestion of an ambulance with disdain. He had a nasty cut on his arm, Chin had a sprained or broken wrist. The murderer was apprehended, that's what mattered. Danno had stayed behind to get statements, clean up the details and so forth, knowing his boss and friend would both be fine, that their injuries were not serious.

They had radioed ahead for Bergman to meet them. Unfortunately he was on the other side of the island on an errand, it would be a full hour before he got to Queens.

They were met at the ER door by orderlies and nurses with wheelchairs, quickly escorted into exam rooms, and assisted up onto exam tables, Chin in one room, Steve in another. A pleasant woman, a Dr. Isabelle Kent, according to her name tag, introduced herself to Steve, and gently unwrapped his hastily and crudely bandaged arm. All the while she talked very calmly and quietly to him, telling him to take it easy, relax. It was easy to see he was totally keyed up, and still running on adrenaline.

He scoffed at her suggestions, but was drawn to her incredible green eyes which seemed to captivate him. As did her voice. And soothe him. Soothing he didn't know he needed. She gently questioned him about what had happened, if he had any other injuries, how he felt, as she conducted her exam. All the while talking softly and calmly, admonishing him softly to relax.

She asked the nurse to check on the other man, got word that he only had a sprained wrist, nothing broken. Smiling at Steve, she said now he could relax, his friend would be fine. Steve was a bit taken aback… he wasn't sure HOW to relax. The pretty doctor, about 40 years old, medium build, trim and fit, recognized this. She leaned close, told him she was going to inject lidocain into his arm to numb it before stitching. That he was going to remain in her ER and on the exam table until she was finished. "You might as well take advantage of the rest, Mr. McGarrett, and relax. Try closing your eyes and taking some deep breaths." She had the nurse dim the lights, leaving only one bright one focused on his outstretched arm.

All the while her voice remained melodic, quiet, light, gentle. Steve had questions, "Doctor, I haven't met you before, you're new here?"

"Yes, Mr. McGarrett, I moved here about 3 months ago from Connecticut. I am enjoying Hawaii very much." She stopped her ministrations, looked at him directly, and said, still calmly, "Now could you please close your eyes and rest, just a few minutes? I suspect that as soon as I'm finished, you will want to be up and out of here. So if you can really relax a few minutes, it will do you a world of good. Close your eyes and rest."

Despite the quiet tone, her words somehow carried power and persuasion, and he acquiesced, and closed his eyes. But as he lay there, his mind was still racing. Now about this new doctor- not about the case, not about Chin, but about her. After a minute or so, he opened his eyes to take another look at her. She noticed (of course), and gently encouraged him to close his eyes again and relax and rest. He studied her carefully for another minute, then closed his eyes and rested.

And Dr. Kent snickered, "Mr. McGarrett, you HAVE closed your eyes as I requested, and are trying to relax, but your mind is going a mile a minute, isn't it?"

Keeping his eyes closed, but grinning, he nodded. As she worked, she quietly began to lead him in a relaxation exercise, asking him to imagine himself on a sunny beach on a quiet day, soaking up the sunshine. She described, "Feel the warm breeze from the trade winds. Imagine the warm sunshine gently simmering all the tension out of your muscles." She did a superb job of accurately describing the potential scene, the gentle crash of the waves, the calling of the sea gulls. "Feel of the beach blanket on your back, and the sand beneath it, molding perfectly to all your curves and angles.

She was aware that her technique was working, he was slowly relaxing. Finishing a few minutes later, she was about to bandage his arm when Bergman walked in. At first he was alarmed to seeing McGarrett lying on the table, almost comatose-like. "Steve!"

Steve jolted awake, Dr. Kent quickly let Dr. Bergman know that he was fine, just relaxing. Bergman looked at her, then looked at Steve and said incredulously, "RELAXING?"

Dr. Kent smiled, as did Steve, "Yes, Dr. Bergman, I convinced him it was in his best interests to spend the time while I was sewing up his arm relaxing. He really did a wonderful job of it, once he got the hang of it!"

Steve smirked, and sat up. Bergman examined his arm, wordlessly pronounced it fine, and Dr. Kent bandaged it. Told Steve to come back in a few days and have it checked, and gave him all the usual warnings- fever, pain, swelling, redness, and so forth. She gave him an injection of antibiotics, as well as a bottle of them and pain pills. Bergman stood there, arms crossed, as he digested Steve LISTENING to her instructions. Probably he wouldn't FOLLOW them, but he didn't walk out on her. She smiled. The whole time her voice had been quiet, calm, gentle.

Doc knew her from a few instances on cases where the victim didn't make it. She seemed a competent doctor, from the grapevine he heard nothing but good things about her. Steve began to walk out, turned, and said, "Thank you, Dr. Kent."

"Oh, Mr. McGarrett, one question. Did the mental image I painted work for you? Could you imagine yourself in that scene? Was it effective? Was there anything you'd change about it?" Steve thought the question an odd one, but replied that it was very effective, and yes, he could imagine himself well in that scenario. "Why do you ask, Doctor?"

She smiled, and answered cryptically, "Future reference."

He picked up Chin on his way out, they headed back to their duties.

Two months later

The ambulance roared up to the ER with Hawaii Five-O's second in command on the gurney inside. Immediately he was unloaded, the bed followed closely by a most anxious Steve McGarrett. He was wheeled into an exam room, and the familiar Dr. Kent began her exam as other medical personnel performed their jobs, taking vitals, starting an IV and so forth. A nurse was attempting to shoo Steve out, Dr. Kent glanced over and quietly said, "Mr. McGarrett can stay, if he remains quiet and against the wall, out of our way so we can do our job."

Steve vaguely appreciated the concession, his mind was on Danno. He had been shot in the leg and was unconscious. In the back of his mind he registered a few things. Dr. Kent remained calm and collected through everything. Her voice was serene, peaceful. Yet her orders, issued almost demurely, were instantly obeyed. Though the emergency was tense, she was cool and calm, unruffled, exuding serenity. She talked not only to the staff, but also to his unconscious friend… this impressed him.

X-rays were done with a portable x-ray machine right there. Finally Danno was stabilized enough to be transported to surgery. Doc Bergman walked in at that point. He grabbed the chart and briefly reviewed it. And left with the gurney. Steve was about to follow, Dr. Kent stopped him. She took him by both arms, gently and told him to sit on the stool. He jerked out of her hold. She again took his arms and led him to the stool. He thought about racing after Bergman. In a calm, reserved timbre, she said, "Mr. McGarrett, please sit down." He was ready to object again, and the look in her eyes told him to do as she asked.

"Good. Now take a deep breath."

Steve was exasperated, "WOMAN….I WANT TO KNOW HOW HE IS!" Then relinquished his tirade, which he judged would be ineffective against this bastion of tranquility, and did as she asked, drawing in a deep breath.

"One more." He did, but glared at her.

She then proceeded to brief him with a complete concise report on his friend, including her opinion that he would be fine. She added that she was not a surgeon, but she would go up and observe, and let him know when they were done. He appreciated that small kindness and headed up to the OR doors to wait there.

Dr. Kent came out about an hour later. Steve had been anxiously pacing, Chin and Kono were also there. He took one look at the interesting green-eyed red-haired doctor and knew he'd have to comply with her about-to-be-delivered request to relax and calm down, breathe deeply before she'd give him any information. Without being asked, Steve sat, looked at her, and she waited. He sighed, closed his eyes and took two deep breaths. Chin and Kono were astounded at this, never had they seen their boss behave like this in such a situation. Dr. Kent relayed that surgery went fine, they were just finishing up now, he'd be in recovery for about 30 minutes then transferred to a room and McGarrett could see him then. "The bullet entered your detective's left thigh about 3" above the knee. It lodged against the bone and nicked the femoral artery. Bleeding was stopped easily, and there is no serious damage to the bone. He'll be sore for a while, but we expect an uneventful recovery." She smiled, asked if he had any questions, then left, promising to update him ASAP. Steve shook her hand and thanked her. There was something about this doctor that really did make one feel relaxed and peaceful.

Later that evening, Dr. Kent went to check on her patient and naturally, as expected, found Steve at his bedside. Andy Bergman had warned her after her first encounter with Steve about some of his "quirks" regarding treatments and doctor's orders, and especially injured colleagues and most especially Danny. She smiled, checked the patient, gave Steve an update, then spent a minute to talk with him. "Well, according to Andy, you're going to be here all night, right?"

Steve answered with a grin.

"Okay, fine. But listen to me." She lowered the bed rail on the side Steve was on, and instructed him to lay his head onto an extra pillow she placed on the side of the bed. He looked at her warily. "Do it." He did so, albeit reluctantly. "Okay, now you can sit in that chair and fall asleep with your head hanging down, OR you can relax with your head on the bed. Not the MOST comfortable position, but better than the alternative. Now, put yourself back at that beach scene." She had dimmed the lights in the room when she entered, and now in her melodic, peaceful voice, she led him to relaxation as she guided him to imagine that calm scene. After a few minutes, she quietly left, hoping he would get at least some decent rest.

Danny recovered, was discharged two days later, all was well in Steve's world. His second in command was to take it easy, but showed up at work a few days after that. Steve watched over him, keeping his tasks light, and sent him home early the first day, knowing that he was not yet supposed to be back at work, but also appreciating his input on this puzzling case.

The next day, Dr. Kent, being conscientious, and knowing what was probably transpiring, called Danny's apartment to find no answer. She called Five-O, identified herself, and asked if Mr. Williams was there. He was and May was going to connect him, she asked her not to, that she was going to stop by and check on him. May thought this was a very nice thing for her to do. And something that Danny would probably balk at, so she decided not to mention it to him.

About a half hour later, the doctor walked into the office with her black bag, introduced herself to the secretary, who rapped on the boss's door and ushered the woman in. Danny groaned, Steve smirked, Dr. Kent grinned, and May laughed.

"Mr. Williams, I thought you understood my orders that you were to rest for several days before returning to work. And Mr. McGarrett, I thought you also understood those orders." They both looked sheepish.

She let them stew for a minute in her quiet condemnation, then simply announced, "Mr. Williams, please remove your jacket, roll up your sleeve, and sit on the couch." She checked his vital signs, pronouncing all normal. "Okay, drop your pants and lie down, please." Danny turned as red as a cooked lobster, Steve stifled a laugh. Dr. Kent noticed (of course), "Mr. Williams, I need to examine your injury, you can't roll your pant leg up that far. There is nothing to be embarrassed about." He knew she was right, but it was something about the way she said it…just the idea of a woman telling him to drop his pants….

Danny did as asked, and laid on the couch while she removed the bandage and examined the wound. It was healing well enough. "Go ahead and get put back together, Mr. Williams." As he did so, she packed up her supplies. Looked carefully at both men, she said, "Well, I suspect this leg hurts plenty, especially at the end of the day, or when you've been on it a lot. And you're not taking the pain medication because it makes you sleepy. Am I correct?" She said all this in her quiet voice. Danny remained silent as she drilled him with her piercing eyes.

Steve said, "Doctor, if you ever want to change professions, you'd make a great detective!"

"Mr. McGarrett, he needs to rest and stay OFF his leg, as much as possible. YOU need to cooperate in making that happen."

Steve thought about her demeanor for a bit. He'd never heard her raise her voice, he'd never heard a hint of panic. Even in a crisis, she was level headed. Yet her soft words carried authority, they even swayed HIM to do things he normally wouldn't consider. She had a bearing about her that commanded attention and obedience, but in a meek and humble way, not demanding. Steve found this most interesting – he'd never met anyone quite like her.

Steve answered for both of them, "Yes, doctor, I will see to it he rests and takes it easy."

She eyed him suspiciously, "And I want to see him back at the hospital to get the stitches out in 4 days."

"Yes, ma'am."

She left, hoping that her visit had done some good, and relieved that her patient was doing fairly well despite not heeding her advice.

Two more months later

Steve and Danny approached a suspect at a garage. He was employed there, and was working on changing a tire. He stopped his work as they questioned him. The man was antsy and nervous. Suddenly he flung the tire iron he was holding at them and took off running. They both gave chase and shortly caught up with him and apprehended him. Danno cuffed him, then noticed Steve was favoring his hand. "You okay, Steve?"

Steve nodded, "Yeah, that tire iron just caught me on my finger when I blocked it. I'll be okay." He spoke confidently, but Danny noticed he cradled that left hand. Danny went with HPD to book the man, Steve drove back to his office. A few hours later, the second in command returned to the office and went in to report to his boss. Steve seemed fine, for the most part, but his left ring finger was swollen and obviously tender. "Steve, maybe you ought to have that looked at, could be broken…"

McGarrett dismissed him, "It's nothing, a minor annoyance." And went back to the case. It was a baffling one, and they were using all their resources to crack it. Steve sensed they were close, but frustrated with not quite being able to connect all the dots and close it…. There were a few key pieces missing…

The next two days they worked long and hard, they got closer to solving the case. Steve's finger continued to annoy him, it was painful. When he drove, he used his right hand almost exclusively. It had swollen up a fair amount, he couldn't bend it without immense pain, it was somewhat red. But he pushed it all to the back of his mind as he doggedly worked on the case.

And then they got the break they needed. All four detectives rushed out to follow up on the tip called in. They found their main suspect, and his accomplices, caught cold with the goods, holed up in a small bungalow on the far side of the island. There were also two bodies piled outside near a storage shed. Steve called for Bergman to come to the scene- he wanted the scoop on time and cause of death ASAP. With adequate HPD backup, they surrounded the place, and ordered surrender. The criminals were not going to give up without a fight.

Steve tried to negotiate over the next 30 minutes, to no avail. Doc was about to give his report to him when the shooting started. Five minutes and many rounds later, the suspects surrendered, but only after teargas was lobbed into the dwelling.

The hubbub died down, no one was injured, thankfully. Doc sort of sat back and waited for Steve to ask for his report on the two deceased victims. Finally he came over to Doc for just that purpose. As Doc relayed his information, he noticed Steve favoring his left hand. He finished, then took Steve's hand and asked, "What did you do?"

Steve flinched at the touch, further confirming Doc's suspicion that it was an injury that needed tending to. He carefully and briefly examined the finger as Steve held his breath trying hard not to gasp, all of which Doc took in. Doc simply ordered, "Steve, you are going NOW to Queens and have Dr. Kent take a look at this. I'm almost certain you have a broken finger and it NEEDS attention." Steve sighed. "Okay." And headed to his car to obey the command. "Wait a minute, Steve. I don't want you driving with that finger, it would be too easy to injure it more. Danny, you drive him."

Steve protested, "Doc! I've been driving fine with it." Doc just glared at him. Danny said, "C'mon, Steve, I'll drive. No big deal." The head of Five-O harrumphed as he slid into the passenger seat of his car, slamming the door harder than necessary.

Doc had notified ER and Dr. Kent that Steve was coming in and his condition. Smiling, she met him at the ER doors, and said, "Andy told me you were coming in." She studied him briefly, then turned and he followed her into an exam room and sat on the table. "Dr. Kent, it's just banged up."

"Tell me exactly what happened, Mr. McGarrett." Then she paused a second, and asked, "Look, we seem to be seeing a lot of each other, do you suppose we could be on a first name basis? I'm Izzy. I know it's a goofy crazy nickname, but it's what I've been called for as long as I can remember."

Steve smiled, "That sounds good, Izzy. I'm Steve."

"Okay, looks like Andy was right, I'm pretty sure you have a broken finger. I'm sending you to X-ray, then we'll set it. Steve, WHEN did this happen?"

Steve answered honestly, "A few days ago."

She countered, "And you saw no need to come in to have it checked until Andy noticed and cornered you today?"

He awkwardly replied, "Ummmm.. we were busy with a case."

She asked, "And that case has been solved now, I take it?"

"Yes."

"Good!" She smiled. "Then you can relax!" He knew exactly what she meant by that, more than just relax and take it easy, she meant REALLY relax, fall into a deep alpha brain wave meditative relaxation.

Steve went to X-ray, returned, and awaited Izzy's return from another small emergency. It wasn't long and she informed him that she would be giving him some light sedation, then a local, and then set the finger, immobilizing it with a metal splint.

As she had done before with him, she lowered the room lights, save one intense spotlight to the side focused on his hand. Smiling, she gently intoned, "Okay, before I start, I think you know the drill…" She waited a minute for him to begin to relax.

Doc Bergman had arrived and was about to enter the exam room as he overheard her conversation and stopped a minute to listen.

He looked intently at her, grinned, "Yes, Doctor." He closed his eyes, took some deep breaths, really deep ones, cleansing, relaxing ones. She led him into the visual image she had created months earlier. Steve found it quite easy to fall into a peaceful calm, with her musical, soothing voice leading him into relaxation. After a few minutes she said quietly, "I'm going to inject the sedation now, you'll feel a little sting."

Andy Bergman stepped into the room at this time, indicating to her to remain silent about his presence and to keep on with her work.

Steve did feel it, but didn't flinch, he was so relaxed. She waited a few minutes for that to take effect, talking quietly to him all the while. She turned his hand over, palm up, and injected lidocain into the finger. And waited again a bit longer.

Bergmann was truly mesmerized by her methods, AND even more so, Steve's acceptance of them. He fully expected Steve to be antsy and grousing about something, anything, instead of quietly and calmly laying on the exam table as he was being worked on. He stepped out a minute, motioned Danny into the room, indicating silence. When Danny came in, he cocked his head towards Steve and arched his eyebrows, sending the message without words, _"Can you believe this?" _ Danny looked at Steve, completely relaxed, at Dr. Kent, going about her work, softly humming, and back at Doc Bergman. His brow was wrinkled, his expression said, _"No, I don't believe this!" _

They both stood and watched as the doctor skillfully manipulated the errant finger into place, applied the splint, taped it up, and finished with an ace bandage over the hand. She gently placed the hand by his side, ever so carefully raised the side rails on the exam bed and walked out, indicating for Danny and Andy to follow her.

Once in the corridor (she had picked the ER room at the far end of the hallway, less noise and commotion, she preferred working there as much as possible), she moved down a bit, smiled at the two astonished men, and said, "What?"

Bergman said, "Izzy! What did you do to him? McGarrett NEVER lays around in an ER room, RELAXED like that. And he was that way BEFORE you gave him any sedation! WHAT did you do?"

She laughed. The first time I met him, I could tell he was a tense, wound-up type and needed to learn to relax. So I worked with him on that a bit. Then when Mr. Williams was injured a while back, I had the opportunity to work on it some more. Looks like he's getting it, wouldn't you say?"

Danny replied, "I'd DEFINITELY say he's getting it. I've never seen him like that. You're amazing."

Steve walked up behind them, having overheard that last comment from Danno, and asked, "What am I getting? And what do you mean you've never seen me like that?"

Danny explained. Steve grinned, looking at Izzy. By way of explanation he said, "Well, first off, each time she 'worked her magic', it WAS at a time when the crisis was past, not when my mind was still trying to figure out some case. Secondly, she's VERY good at what she does, 'working her magic'. Thirdly, Izzy's voice is somehow so peaceful and serene, you can't HELP but relax. And lastly, but NOT the least important, it really DOES feel good to do it!" He laughed, "Thank you, Izzy."

"You're welcome, Steve. But I'm not quite finished with you yet."

He arched his eyebrows in an unspoken question. She took his hand gently. "Okay, this is immobilized. This will stay on at least a month." Looking directly at Steve, she said, "I'm fitting you for a sling that I want you to wear. It's your choice or not. But when your hand is hanging down at your side it causes increased pressure on your finger and will delay healing, not to mention increase pain. Having your elbow bent and hand at your chest level will eliminate that pressure. You'll feel more comfortable and it will be better for your hand." With that instruction, she took him by the elbow and led him back into the exam room to apply a sling. "We'll be right back."

Three minutes later, Doc and Danny were still in the hallway, Steve and Izzy came back out, he had his arm nestled snugly in a sling. As they exited down the hallway, she gave him general instructions. Bergman noted that he didn't roll his eyes at them. Probably wouldn't follow them, but he didn't dismiss her out of hand…

After they left, he asked to talk with her a minute. "Izzy, you're good. You're REALLY good with Steve. Listen, I'm retiring at the end of the year. Would you consider taking over as official Five-O physician?" He proceeded to detail what the job covered, as well as his opinions on the men, their stubbornness, their usual lack of respect for doctor's orders and so on.

She laughed at his comments, she could tell he had great affection for all of them, and cared deeply. She felt flattered that he would ask her to succeed him, and didn't need to think about it. "I'd be honored, Andy."

He grinned, "After a few more episodes with them, you may feel otherwise." Looking at her, he amended, "Then again, maybe you're a match for them. I'll talk to Steve about it."

A few days later, Steve had business with Doc at the morgue. They covered that, then he asked Steve to stay a minute and discuss something else. Intrigued by his tone, Steve sat across from Doc's desk, steepled his hands and waited. "Steve, I'm retiring at the end of the year. I've asked Izzy to take on the UNREWARDING job of official Five-O physician. Are you okay with that?"

Steve thought a minute. Not about if he was okay with that- he was- no problem there. But he was reflecting on the many many years of water under the bridge with Bergman, the many times crises they had weathered together. They had shared tears together, pain, relief.

He looked at Doc. Eyes brimming with tears, surprising the crusty physician, Steve huskily said, "We've been through a lot together, Andy. God, we'll miss you."

And now Bergman teared up as well and just nodded.

The two men sat in a comfortable silence a few minutes. Steve finally broke it, "Sounds good, Doc. See ya." And abruptly left. Instead of racing to his car, he walked slowly out. And leaned against his car a long while. When he finally arrived back at his office, instead of tackling the cases on his desk, he went out on his lanai. Danno had come right in to report, but sensing his friend's mood, he remained silent and simply stood next to him.

After a lengthy ten minutes, Steve, without looking at Danny he said quietly, "Doc's retiring at the end of the year." Aha! Now he understood the melancholic mood. Doc had been with them through so much. Saved their lives more than once. After another 10 minutes, Danny snickered, "Remember that time when your finger was stuck in that lock and Doc had to extricate you?" Steve chuckled. "Yeah, and that time when you locked yourself in that monkey cage after you'd been drugged, and were delusional and Doc had to talk you out of it?" They spent the next hour sharing memories, both funny ones and serious ones.

"We'll miss him, that's for sure. He wants Izzy to take over."

Danny laughed, "Fine by me. She sure is different from him, though!"

"That she is, Danno!"

Months later

All four detectives had been working hard for over a week on the case. They had gathered in Steve's office to brainstorm. Kono sat quietly in one of the chairs. All day he seemed a little "off" to Steve. He added little to the conversation. Steve was distracted by this, not annoyed, just distracted- his mind instead of being 100% on the case, was a little bit on Kono. He walked over, put his hand on the man's shoulder, "Hey, big guy, you okay? You seem a little … peaked…"

Kono looked down, "I dunno, boss. I've had the creeping cruds all day, my stomach's doing flip flops, I feel tired."

"Maybe you need to get checked out."

Kono rallied, "Nah, I'll be okay."

Steve wasn't sure about that, but went back to the brainstorming. Due to the late hour, they were unable to check out some leads- bank account statements and the like. Danny ordered takeout. It came and they all dug in, except Kono. Unheard of for him. It appeared that even the smell of the food made him queasy. He made a quick exit to the men's room. Danny followed a few minutes later, "I'll check on him."

"Hey, you okay, Kono?"

"I dunno, bro, I'm feeling pretty shaky."

Danny helped him up and back to the office. By the time they got there he was sweating profusely. He sat in the chair and all eyes were on him. He looked pale.

Steve took about 5 seconds to assess his condition, "That's it, I'm taking you in."

He moved to help him to his feet and as Kono almost toppled over, Chin and Danny were there to assist. They all helped him down the stairs and into Steve's car. "Danno, Chin, you keep working, I'll let you know what we find."

Steve was worried about Kono, what exactly was wrong with him. In the back of his mind he wondered if it was poison. He radioed ahead, requesting that Dr. Bergman… or Dr. Kent.. meet them in the ER.

Dr. Kent met him at the door, ready with a gurney. Several of them lifted the now only semi-conscious and in-considerable-pain man onto the portable bed. Steve, with a quick glance and minute nod of approval from Dr. Kent, took up "his" position against the wall and silently observed. Dr. Kent took a second to look over at him and mouthed the word "Breathe."

She gently interrogated Kono about his symptoms and pain, and received half hearted answers. After an exam, she diagnosed food poisoning and began treatment for that. She called McGarrett over to give him a report. "Steve, I'll have to wait for lab tests to be positive, but I'm 99% sure he has food poisoning."

Steve anxiously asked, "Izzy, what if you're wrong? What if he was poisoned with some actual poison? That's not likely, but a possibility in our line of work."

"Well, Steve, there's no way of knowing if that is what is happening here until we get the lab tests back. I seriously doubt it, everything indicates 'ordinary' food poisoning. Can you contact the girl he had dinner with last night and find out if she's okay? I think you heard him say they grilled out at his place? If she's also sick, that could really clinch my diagnosis. But, Steve, I don't think he's been poisoned."

"How long will the lab results take?"

"Probably 4-6 hours. Steve, go ahead and go back to your office. We'll take good care of your man. I'll let you know if I find out anything or if there is any change." She paused, then smiled and said, "You know, I work all kinds of odd hours. I forgot what time it is. I SHOULD tell you to go home, NOT back to the office!" She looked at him meaningfully.

He sighed, "Thank you, Izzy. Call me at my office when you know something, you've got the number. I'll also follow up right away on the dinner mate and let you know." He went over and patted the groggy-from-medication Kono, quietly whispering, "Take it easy, bruddha. She's good and she'll take good care of you." He was slow to relinquish his hold, turn and leave.

He radioed back to his office to the colleagues with the report on Kono, saying he'd be there soon. First he tackled identifying and tracking down Kono's companion at supper last night. This didn't take long, and he talked to her on the phone. She revealed she did feel kind of sick and had an upset stomach but wasn't too bad. He told her she would be contacted soon by a Dr. Kent from Queens hospital and could she please share any necessary information with her. He called Izzy with the information, she explained that if she had eaten less of a tainted food, it was likely that she would not get as ill as he was. And the fact that she WAS somewhat ill did lend support to her diagnosis. She said Kono was doing the same. He thanked her and hung up.

Then they continued for several hours to sort through the mounds of evidence before them, sifting for threads, connections. At 10 pm he sent Chin home. He and Danno were still at it after midnight when his phone rang. Expecting it to be Izzy, Kono had been in the back of his mind the last hour or so, he snatched up the receiver, quickly answering, "McGarrett."

"Hi, Steve, it's Izzy." She paused silently. Steve was infuriated for a moment. THIS WOMAN would drive him batty. He KNEW she was waiting for him to calm a bit and relax before she'd share what he desperately wanted to know. "OKAY!" he bellered, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And another, loud enough for her to hear over the phone. In those few seconds he pondered again how powerful this woman was with her QUIET-ness. She had not begged or pleaded or ordered or asked or cajoled him to relax. She just waited for him to do what he knew she wanted and expected. And that WHEN he did, she would give him what HE wanted. It annoyed him, but he had to admit she was most effective.

She quietly said, "Thanks, Steve. That was good." He also noticed that she ALWAYS found SOMETHING to compliment everyone on. "Kono's got food poisoning as I thought. He'll be fine in a day or so. I'm keeping him for now, he should be over the worst of it by tomorrow morning, and I'll probably release him tomorrow, but he'll be very weak, wiped out. He'll need a few days of R & R."

Steve digested this, "Thanks for calling, Izzy. I'll stop by tomorrow morning."

She laughed, "Steve, it IS tomorrow morning!"

He grimaced, "Okay, you got me. Just take care of him."

"You know we will. You take care as well."

More months later

Steve was ticked at himself. He was out on his early morning jog. He always enjoyed this ritual, it was cleansing for him. He was on his return run, had about a mile to go. The beach as usual was fairly deserted. He noticed another jogger heading towards him, a woman. This was not common, but not unusual or out of place either. Nothing about him made him feel uneasy about the approaching encounter. As she got closer he watched her carefully. He had to admit that his gaze had NOTHING to do with any apprehension, no "bad vibes" of that kind at all. It had to do with her stunning beauty which was becoming more apparent with every step that diminished the distance between them. He wasn't paying attention and stumbled over a small piece of driftwood, twisting his ankle as he went down. Being only a few yards away, she was there in a second at his side, offering assistance and asking if he was okay. Totally embarrassed, and with chagrin, he reassured her he was fine, thinking she was gorgeous. As he recovered for a minute he commented that he had not seen her before, but her pace told him she was not new to running. She smiled and said she was visiting friends, and enjoying Hawaii, and would be heading back home later today. Steve's heart fell, and as she helped him up, he smiled warmly and told her to have a safe trip. She asked again if he was okay, and he said he was fine, to get on with her run, knowing that if you were in the middle of a workout and stopped, it could really mess with your rhythm and tempo. She headed on down the beach. He tested his ankle again, it was sore, he could bear weight on it, but running was out for sure. He walked, no, more accurate to say, limped, back to his place.

Once there, he took a closer look at his ankle. A bit of swelling, not too bad, he could move his foot most directions (albeit gingerly and not without pain). He grabbed an ice pack and applied it to the side of his ankle where it was sorest. Then showered and made some coffee and breakfast, still limping. Reapplied the ice pack. By now it was past 7:30. He called Danno and said he'd be in a bit late this morning. Danno let the unspoken question hang, "Nothing's wrong Danno. I tripped this morning and twisted my ankle jogging, I'm just moving a little slower than usual."

Immediately the younger man offered to help, "Steve, do you want me to come by and pick you up?"

"No need, Danno, I'll see you in a while."

Steve was dressed, except for one shoe. He had chosen ankle high dress boots for the day, figuring that would give him a little extra support. As he carefully, but painfully, wedged his foot into the shoe he realized it WAS swelling up more. _"Ah well, the boot will also minimize the swelling, he rationalized."_, knowing that really wasn't a rational thought…

Handling the stairs was a challenge, he ended up taking one at a time, stepping down with his good left foot, then bringing the injured right one down. SLOW going. Then once in his car, he realized he'd be driving with his left foot. So he was more cautious than normal in his journey to the office. He dreaded the many stairs both inside and outside the Palace, not so much for the problem it caused him physically, but for the comments and stares he was likely to get. Which he did, about a half dozen of them before he reached the top at his slow pace of left foot on the step, then pull up the right. Well meaning folks offering to help. He tried twice to walk up normally placing only one foot on each step, but was unable to bear that kind of pressure on his foot.

He paused at the outer office door, to catch his breath. He hoped to be able to make it to his office without his injury being noticed, although simply the fact that he was "late" would stand out. He entered the office and try as hard as he might, couldn't help but limp towards his office. May immediately noticed, "BOSS! What happened?" And of course her cries drew everyone's attention.

"I'm fine, May. I stumbled while jogging this morning and twisted my ankle."

"Oh Steve! Did you have it checked out? It could be broken, you know! Is there anything you need?"

He tersely replied, "My mail and coffee, please. I'm fine."

Danno accurately assessed from the delicate way Steve was moving that the trek up the stairs had probably been quite challenging. He, Chin and Kono grabbed their coffees, notebooks and paperwork as Steve settled in his chair.

On the drive over, Steve was forced to re-plan his day and the jobs he was assigning. HE would be staying put in the office. No way could he walk around finding and talking to leads and suspects. That would go to his men. It frustrated him. His detectives realized this. The morning meeting finished, all went about their jobs. Steve had opened his second to bottom desk drawer and propped his now throbbing ankle up on it as he worked on paperwork. The morning passed slowly for him as he realized even a simple act like getting up to grab a folder from the table was a painful journey.

Danno brought lunch in at noon. As they ate, he directly confronted his boss, "Steve, you're NOT okay. You haven't left your desk all morning. Your ankle is really bothering you and you can't put weight on it. You need to go in and have it checked."

"It's just twisted, Danno. I CAN walk on it." Top prove his point, he got up to walk around the desk. And ended up not proving his point well at all. He limped along, using the desk for support, putting almost NO weight on his ankle.

Danno smirked. "Let's go."

Steve groused, still unready to concede. Danno tried humor, "Look, I know a real nice pretty lady doctor who will make house calls, if you want. She's even not afraid to tell a guy to 'Drop his pants' if need be to check out an injury. 'Course with it being your ankle, I doubt you'd have to drop your pants."

He hated to admit it, but it was either go and get it taped up, which probably meant things like X-rays, Izzy's "NOW RELAX" stuff (though he was coming to almost enjoy that, but he'd never disclose that thought) or spend who knows how long while he fumbled along without professional treatment.

Sighing, wordlessly, he indicated to Danno to grab his jacket. Then glared at him as his friend offered his shoulder in support, but accepted it.

The sole comment as he left the office was, "We'll be out and back later."

Danno radioed ahead. Usually Izzy worked nights. Which she had last night, but was still there, just finishing up with a critical patient that had been brought in early morning. She said she'd be happy to wait for them. The LTD was met at the ER by Izzy and a wheelchair.

Steve got out of the car and resolutely said, "I'm WALKING." And eyed Danno in a silent message to come over to give him his shoulder for support again.

Truthfully, Steve's leg hurt was more than it had this morning, and the trek down the stairs and to the car had further aggravated the injury and pain. Izzy let him hobble into the ER. In the hallway he glanced at her, questioning which one. She was not going to back down to make it easy for him, "You know I like the end of the hall." Lips tight, he turned and continued his trek, made it into the room and onto the table. He used his hands to pull up his right leg onto the table. Izzy took all of this in.

Steve was hurting, he didn't even look at her. He simply lay back, closed his eyes and took a few deep cleansing breaths. You could feel tension wafting off him. She gently said, "Good, Steve. A few more." He complied.

Without touching him yet, she asked what happened. Keeping his eyes closed and trying to relax as he knew she wanted, he stated, "I fell over a piece of driftwood this morning while jogging."

Izzy was always very considerate, explaining exactly what she was going to do, then talking you calmly through it as she did it. "Okay, Steve, first I'm going to remove your left boot and sock. That's so I can compare your injured ankle with the non-injured one, to see how bad the swelling is and so on." She did this easily.

"Okay, next, I'm going to remove the right boot. It may hurt, breath deeply through it. I'll be as careful as I can."

He nodded as she slowly unzipped the boot, grateful it was the kind with a side zipper that went all the way down. Steve grimaced, she encouraged, "Breath it out, Steve, almost off." Another few second and the boot was off, she deftly and quickly snipped off the sock with her scissors.

Steve sighed in relief, that had been tight, it had swelled up considerably, he knew from the trouble she had removing it, way more than was in the morning when he iced it. He propped himself up to look. She allowed him a second to do then gently pushed his shoulders back to the bed, "Lie back, Steve, you know what to do." And she began her "magic" as he called it, beginning to lead him into a thoroughly relaxed state. She'd pause to ask him questions. First, she walked over to the cabinet and returned. Steve was still lying with his eyes closed. Danny watched in amazement as she held a tuning fork in her hand, rapped it sharply against the side of the exam table, all the while explaining to Steve, "I'm going to check now for any broken bones. I can do that easily and accurately by simply touching this tuning fork on its side to your foot. If there is any fracture, even a hairline one, the broken bones will vibrate against each other and we'll know from your reaction. If you have no reaction, and simply feel the vibration, nothing is broken." Steve again propped himself up and watched in fascination as she did this simple test. And announced confidently, "Nothing broken, I didn't think there was." Realizing that Steve took this pronouncement as "permission" to leave, she laid her hand on his chest, "Wait a minute, my friend. Back to your relaxation. Nothing is broken. But, you've got a very severely twisted ankle here. I'm going to tape it up- tight." She spent the next few minutes taping, humming musically at the same time, glancing at first to make sure her patient was relaxing, which he was. Finished, she checked his vital signs again. A s he felt her soft, feminine hand on his wrist, he opened his eyes, and looked at her. She leaned over, and talked to him, explained what he could expect. "Steve, you're going to have a very sore ankle the next few days. Will you use crutches if I give them to you?" He shook his head minutely. "Okay, a cane? Steve, it REALLY would be a good idea."

"No, thanks, Izzy. I can get by okay."

"I know you can, Steve. But you'll heal faster and better, and less painfully, if you keep as much weight off it as you can for a few days. The easiest way to do that is if you use crutches or a cane." Pausing a minute, she said with 100% mock innocence, "Or, we could get a wheelchair for you."

He glared at that comment, not dignifying it with a response.

"Okay. Your choice. I'm sending along a MILD pain reliever. This won't make you drowsy, but will take the edge off. Keep your ankle elevated as much as possible. Put an ice pack on it every half hour or so for the rest of today. And I AM sending the cane with Danny. He is to place it in your office, by your desk_, just in case_ you should choose to use it. Be better if you actually took a few DAYS off. I'd like to see you back in two days. Please, Steve. I don't really want to make a house call to your office."

As she turned to leave, she added, "Oh, and I'm making you abide by the hospital regulations, and you will get a wheel chair ride out to your car."

Steve grimaced. She stopped her exit, turned to him and said, "Okay, for that, which just undid all your good relaxation, you will now spend the next 5 minutes alone, here quietly, on the exam bed, re-establishing a relaxed state. Then I will release you."

Steve knew he could just walk out. He also knew he wanted to obey her. Not just because she was a pretty woman he was attracted to, but because he just felt compelled to, she kind of demanded that, in a very non-assuming way.

"Okay, Izzy. No contest, You win."

She laughed. "Not quite, Steve. It's not a battle here where there is a winner and a loser. You relax, we both win." Then turned and left, Danny accompanying her.

As Steve relaxed, he thought about Izzy. Over the last 6 months he had come to know quite a bit about her. She was a widow, her husband had died almost 3 years earlier on the job as a firefighter. She had one adult daughter, a senior at an east coast college. No other close family, her parents were deceased, her father-in-law lived in Europe, her mother-in-law was deceased also. She liked the outdoors, simple things like a sunset or waterfall or beautiful wildflowers. She wasn't arrogant or ostentatious, but honest and sincere. Quiet in her demeanor and speech but a very strong and powerful woman. Meek, but not weak by any means. She had moved to Hawaii seeking a fresh start in life, away from places that held positive, but also many painful memories for her- things like places she and her husband (whom she loved dearly, Steve knew from her conversation) went to eat, or took walks, the zoo they went to with their daughter. She certainly didn't forget those things, just choose to not be around the places where the memories happened on a regular basis by living there.

Steve regretted that he only saw her professionally. He had thought before he should call her sometime, but never did. He vowed to change that. He liked her. And it did truly amaze him that she had this ability to, now almost instantly, get him totally relaxed.

Steve got back to the office, managed to make it up the many stairs. On his way into his domain, he asked May to make a note on his calendar to have his ankle checked in two days. Danny's eyebrows arched at this, he looked at May with surprise. Neither made a comment, but the secretary made the notation.

Steve's ankle was better each day. He did go back to the hospital two days later, late afternoon, after calling to check to make sure Izzy would be there. He met her in an exam room, she unwrapped his foot and examined it, probing, bending, twisting this way and that, applying pressure in various areas, testing muscle strength. While it was mildly uncomfortable he was MUCH better than he had been two days ago. Izzy smiled at him and announced, "You're healing well, Steve. But it will still be some time before you're jogging again. I'd say at least 3-4 weeks."

Steve groaned at this, knowing that not exercising for that long would really put him out of shape quickly. The doctor simply said, "There's not much you can do about it."

Steve laughed, "So, okay, your prescription is to SMILE about it and RELAX! Right?"

Izzy laughed.

As Steve replaced his sock and shoe, he asked if she had a minute for a cup of coffee. She did and they went to a semi-private area of a doctor's lounge nearby. Steve wasted no time, "Izzy, would you like to have supper with me Saturday night?"

She was surprised, but pleased, by his request. "Why, Steve… yes, yes I would… very much.."

"Good. How about the Laianoli Harbor Dinner Cruise?"

"That sounds absolutely delightful, Steve." They settled the details, parted and went their ways. The next 4 days were spent with both of them in good spirits, often thinking of the upcoming date. Danny had figured something was up, Steve said nothing. Finally Danny seriously applied his reasoning skills and easily put together Steve's willingness to go back to have his ankle checked, and the mood- noticeable to ALL- upon his return from that visit. He smiled and said to his boss, "You've got a date with Izzy!"

Steve didn't deny it, and he let his expression gave it away. He just smiled.

Saturday came and Steve thought a lot during the day about that evening. He was really looking forward to it. He arrived at the prescribed time of 6 pm to pick up his date. He knocked on her apartment door and she answered. He was taken aback with her beautiful appearance. She was wearing a darker green dress that accented her eyes as well as her hair. Her long, wavy flowing mass of red hair was gorgeous- he wondered briefly if it was that way naturally or if she had to work at it. He suspected it was natural as it looked that way at the hospital when he had seen her. Her simple make-up highlighted her innocent features. She looked radiant.

He had a bouquet for her, plus some plumerias for her hair.

She invited him in, gushed honestly over the flowers. He gravitated to the lanai after walking around the living room. She joined him out there and she commented that the view wasn't great, but she wasn't home that much either. It was what she could find on short notice when she accepted the job- she had little time to apartment hunt. He complimented her on her decorating, which had some interesting focal points and colors.

She left for a minute, returning with two glasses of ice, a pitcher of herbal tea, and a small assortment of appetizers, offering them to Steve, and helping herself. "Steve, I had an early lunch, it's going to be a while before we actually eat, I figured some snacks were in line. I want something anyhow!"

Steve laughed as he picked up one of the stuffed mushrooms and was delightfully surprised with some unidentified flavor. "Okay, this is delicious…baby portabella mushroom, brie.. and what else, there's something else in there… just a hint… I can't quite place it… tastes great, though… what is it?"

She laughed, "Finely minced garlic." "AHA! That's it." He ate another 4-5 of them, not sharing that he had skipped lunch altogether.

Then he turned to the tantalizing assortment of cubed fresh fruit and an interesting looking white sauce for dipping. Spearing a kiwi chunk with a toothpick, dunking it in the sauce, and popping it in his mouth, savoring the flavors. The kiwi, of course, a tartness from what he now identified as a yogurt base, a little sweetness that wasn't sugar or honey, and again, a hint of something else. He asked about it. The sweetness was maple syrup, the other was a bit of fresh lime juice. "Interesting, and very good. Old family recipes?"

She laughed, "No, I come up with them on my own. Change a few things each time until I get it how I like it."

Steve complimented, "Impressive." Between the two of them, they pretty much polished off her appetizers in a few minutes while sharing pleasant conversation.

"Shall we go, Izzy?" And they left.

Steve drove the scenic route to the pier where the launch left. They got there in plenty of time and strolled, her arm on his proffered elbow, admiring the scenery, and continuing their conversation.

As the boarded the yacht, they were escorted to the uppermost deck of three. This deck was smaller, contained one table aft and one fore, as well as two center ones, the three sections divided by walls of ventilation stacks and other equipment, lending each section privacy. Steve and Izzy were escorted to the fore section- the best seat in the house. She look askance at Steve, but made no comment. In truth, he had reserved this table for a few reasons. First, he valued his privacy and preferred not to be in the main dining room with 20 other tables. Often in public he was recognized and people stopped to talk with him and especially tonight he didn't want that. He also wanted to impress Izzy. And, he'd been on this cruise before and he LIKED this spot- you had the best view, the service was superb, and so on.

They stood at the deck railing watching the sun begin to set as they waited for the cruise to begin. It seemed that he and Izzy chatted about everything, comfortably and easily. As she asked questions about his personal life and past, he was fairly open with her.

"Iz, I've got a question for you. You have this… completely calm… bearing… about you no matter what happens. And somehow when say, 'Relax… take it easy…' it's as if tension just melts off. I've asked my co-workers about this, they have said the same. Just your VOICE helps us relax. And for me, when you start leading me purposely into a relaxation exercise, well, that is so effective in calming me down. I have been totally amazed at that... what you do, and the result it causes in me. What I want to know is HOW you do that, where you learned it, why it works.. it's all new to me, and most interesting."

Izzy laughed. "Actually, Steve, it started when I was a little kid. As I said before, I had no brothers or sisters, but lived in a neighborhood full of kids. I was kind of on the small side. I learned really early that raising my voice and hollering really didn't get me very far. Most of the other kids could holler louder than me. So I figured out how to make my voice heard without volume. Over time, I learned that being quiet sometimes carries more weight. Then in med school, and internship, I realized many, most, patients were nervous and scared. And that by talking calmly to them, they would be more likely to feel calm and peaceful. And then exams, procedures, and treatments would all go better."

"As I worked with that, and practiced some things, I studied a bit of psychology, and yes, hypnotization. I don't hypnotize people, but I did learn about timbre of voice, and flow of words that helps one relax. And I learned that generally, some things work best, and I try to stick to those. If I can help someone have a frightening or painful situation be less so, that's good."

"Well, you do, Izzy. And it's amazing."

The evening went delightfully. Their food was outstanding, the service excellent, the weather, the scenery, everything was near perfect, especially the company. After the cruise, they debarked, then sat for a long while visiting in the moonlight at a bench on the beach. They continued to talk some, but also began to enjoy some of the same periods of silence together they had on the cruise. Just being next to each other, in the company of the other, was highly enjoyable.

Finally, neither really wanting the delightful evening to end, he escorted her to the car and home. He stopped with her before they headed up to her apartment. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her to a gentle embrace and some most pleasurable kisses. Then wordlessly ushered her upstairs and safely to her apartment, thanking her for a superb evening. She conveyed the same. Before he turned to leave, he said he'd call her and gave her one last kiss.

Next day being Sunday, Steve didn't go into the office. He slept late, then dressed for his morning jog. It had been a LONG time since his mind was so much on a woman, and so little on cases. Though he did admit there were no really serious pending cases right now.

Over the next few months, Steve and Izzy dated a few times a month, always enjoying themselves. Both found their times together a refreshing break from work. And both, surprisingly, were finding time to take every few weeks for this pleasure.

Steve saw Izzy once, professionally, for his annual physical. As he sat shirtless on her exam table, she gawked at him. "Steve, I know you're a very intelligent man. But…. ummm….. you ARE aware that you only get ONE body in this life? I know you take care of yourself by jogging and eating well, but …" And pointed to a scar on his forearm.

"Knife wound from an umbrella." She cocked her eyes at that, but made no comment. She indicated another scar on his upper arm.

"Bullet wound from a hypnotized police office trying to kill me." Again eyebrows raised. A scar mid-center abdomen.

"One of three holes from a man who thought I wrongly fingered him." Scars on his palm.

He winced at that one, "Knife. I grabbed it… saved lives, was worth it, but it sure hurt."

She concurred, "I'll bet." His other forearm.

"Shrapnel from a bomb blast."

She stopped, though there were plenty more scars she could have pointed out. She looked at him and sighed, shook her head. "Steve." He noted that even as exasperated as she was, she didn't raise her voice.

She finished the exam, let him know all seemed fine, she'd relay the lab work results. "Steve," she began, "I'd feel more comfortable NOT being your doctor if we're dating. Normally one wouldn't be anyway. Treating your other detectives would be fine."

Steve was going to object, instead decided she did have valid reasons and respected her choice. "Okay, can you line somebody else up?' "Certainly."

It was obvious the two were becoming close. She had chosen to apply to, and was accepted, as an internist at the hospital, taking ER call only as a substitute, which ended up being a few times each month. That way, she kept those skills up to date, but also had much more regular daytime hours, which made her seeing Steve easier.

Steve met her daughter when she came out to visit for a week's vacation. He found her a delightful, charming, articulate young lady. She also liked Steve.

On their next date, she brought up a delicate subject. "You know, Steve, when I did your physical and saw all those scars from injuries, it… well… it made me realize what a dangerous profession you are in. I guess I knew that, and I'd seen them before, but somehow, seeing them NOT in an emergency setting, not when I'm distracted by a crisis or emergency, it just struck me."

Steve knew there was much more unspoken, and in his straightforward manner he faced it. "And your husband, Johnny, died in a work related accident, similar work to mine." She nodded.

Steve continued, "Does the idea that I might be hurt or …worse.. bother you? Affect our relationship? Be honest with me, Izzy."

"Steve, you know I'll be honest with you. Yes, it bothers me. I haven't been this close to anyone since Johnny died, you know that. And if something happened to you or you were killed, honestly- as you asked- I'd be devastated. That said, I'd never want you to stop doing what you love, what you're destined to do, what you're so good at. I had 18 great years with Johnny. And I am grateful for them. I'm sorry he died, but I'm never sorry I met him or married him because he died so young. If something happened to you, I'd be very very sorry, but I'd be very very grateful for the times we shared. And not at all sorry for having met or known or become involved with you. Steve, life is for living, not worrying about 'what ifs'. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He hugged her close, VERY pleased with her answer. "Yes, Izzy, I understand. Thank you for that attitude. You're a real gem, Izzy."

Since they began dating, Steve had always left her at her apartment door, not going in. Tonight he posed, "Izzy, may I come in?"

She looked at him, "Let's walk out here to the common patio," directing him to the small lanai at the end of the hallway. "Steve, I think we both know that wouldn't be prudent. I think you WERE listening when I told you that I believed physical intimacy only belongs in marriage."

Steve sighed, "Yes, I WAS listening. I DID hear what you said. Do you want to know my reaction was at the time?" She nodded.

Steve grinned, I had two: "Damn! And Fantastic! Damn because… well, that's obvious. And fantastic because I admired you for those high standards."

They talked a few minutes longer, then Steve took her back to her door, kissed and hugged her lightly, and smiled. "You're an amazing woman, Izzy." He turned and left.

Steve sat a long time in his car, pondering his future, what he wanted in life. He had had a good life, he enjoyed it, he felt fulfilled in many ways. But he also realized over the last few months just how much he WAS missing by not have a serious relationship, a …. wife…. In the last few decades, there was only one person who he ever considered as a wife before, and she was killed before it got that far. He thought about how his dates with Izzy had become several times a week now. Sometimes just a quick lunch, sometimes full day excursions together. And he talked to her frequently on the phone. He loved touching base with her, hearing her voice. Life was changing for him.

A few evenings later, he and Danny were working on a case. It had dead ended, Steve's mind was not focusing on it anyhow. Danny knew this, and knew exactly where his mind was. After about 10 minutes of silence together, Steve said, "Danno, I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Danny's reaction was instantaneous and exuberant. Slapping Steve on the back, "Steve, that's FANTASTIC! WONDERFUL!" I'm so happy for you. YOU two belong together SO much!" And he fervently believed everything he said.

Steve relayed how he had been cutting back on work, cutting back on accepting certain cases. This had been apparent to Danny, as well as the rest of the staff. "Danno, I want to work less. You've seen that. I'm been changing things around to be able to spend more time with Izzy. She's been doing the same. And we're both happy with it. How do you think it is affecting Five-O in general?"

Danny pondered the question. "Well, Steve, it's been different. I don't think anyone realizes except those of us inside. I think it's fine. We used to work too hard anyway. I see no problems."

Steve digested this comment and thought, "Good!"

For their next date, Steve asked if he could make her dinner at his place. Usually, by mutual consent, they didn't spend a lot of time in either one's apartment. Izzy said it could simply lead to "temptation". A few times Steve had invited Danno and a girlfriend over and had cooked for the four of them. But Steve persisted this time, just for the two of them, and she warily consented, not sure why he insisted.

He went on the assigned evening and picked her up from her apartment. She had worked a long hard day, he knew, and was probably tired. But even when tired, she- both of them- would perk up in the other's company. He brought her back to his place, and continued work on his meal. For Steve, he enjoyed the presentation of the food almost as much as the food itself, and had some unique flourishes as he served the meal, beginning with appetizer, salad, soup, main course, and then a light dessert. Everything was wonderful. Together they cleaned up. Steve had done a lot of that as they went along, so there really wasn't much to do.

She sat at the peninsula counter in his kitchen, he leaned on it across from her and smiled. She knew something was up, had NO idea what. Steve looked over at his wall, then at her. "Izzy, I have a ….proposal….for you."

She looked at him, cocking her head. He went over and took the round clock off the wall, came back and handed it to her. He simply said, "An offering."

She wasn't getting it. "Thanks, Steve, nice clock. But I've already got one, and don't you need this? I think you intend some message here, but YOU'RE the detective who figures things out, NOT me."

He laughed, "Okay, I'll help. What does a clock measure?" "Time." And said nothing more. She looked at him… "So, you're offering me your time. That's nice. So, okay, time for what? You've got something special planned!" She began excitedly, thinking of maybe some special holiday or something.

He drawled, "Well, yes, I guess you COULD say I have something special planned. I AM offering you my time." He was quiet, and just looked at her a little while longer. She was able to wait- barely. Her skin began to tingle, she got goose bumps. Then he moved right in front of her, took her hand, looked in her eyes, and said, "Isabella Angelina Kent, I love you. Will you marry me?" At the same time he took a simple ring from his pocket to present to her- it had belonged to his mother.

Her eyes popped wide open, she jumped into him, wrapping her arms AND legs around him, hugging him as tightly as she possibly could. "OH, STEVE! YES YES YES! There is NOTIHNG I'd love more! I LOVE YOU!" Steve hugged her back just as tightly. In the back of his mind, he reflected that he thought this was the first time he had ever heard her raise her voice. Slowly, he began to kiss her passionately and nuzzle her neck. She was wearing a pullover top that wasn't the kind you tuck in. He slid his hands under her shirt. The feel of her soft, silky, velvety skin electrified him. And the feel of his strong, masculine hands on her flesh also ignited her. They stayed there another minute, then he carried her over to the sofa. A few minutes of passionate embrace there and Steve suddenly jumped up. Without saying a word, he stomped out onto the lanai. Izzy knew he wasn't mad at her. She knew he did that to honor her weakened resolve to stick to her resolutions. Both of them were carrying it too far- he had the discipline to stop it, despite an overwhelming desire NOT to.

He stayed out there a long time, twenty minutes, she remained in the apartment.

He came back in, smiled, and apologized. He grinned lopsidedly, and announced, "Let's make the wedding SOON!"

She laughed. And the two left. Steve suggested a walk on the beach before he took her home. They had a most pleasant talk, and he took her home, NOT asking to be invited it.

Steve was so keyed up, he stopped at Danno's on the way back home. They celebrated.

On their next date, Izzy was a bit reserved. "What's wrong, honey?'

"Steve, I'm embarrassed."

He was shocked, "Embarrassed? About what?" He truly could think of nothing for her to be embarrassed about. She fidgeted a bit, not looking at him. He slipped his arm around her and let her take her time.

Finally gathering enough courage she said, "Steve, you know about my standards. You know the only man I've ever … 'been with'… has been Johnny. I'm just afraid that I won't be ….. I dunno… 'good'…? And that embarrasses me. And I think… well.. you've… you've had more…. experience… than me…"

Steve hugged her close, "Oh, Izzy, you're going to be FINE, just FINE! Very good! I already know! My past experience makes no difference with YOU. You are YOU, and you will be GREAT!"

Then he snickered and said, "Besides, if you- or ***I***- am not 'great', well, we'll just have to try again. And again. And again. I think that's part of the fun! Especially with someone you are committed to and CAN have fun with! Mmmmmm…mmmmmm…" He rolled his eyes excitedly. "And besides, Izzy, I'm … well… my standards have not been as high as yours…. but I'm not exactly a playboy…."

She finally smiled, "Steve, you make everything right! Thank you!"

It was almost a month later when Steve Aloysius McGarrett and Isabella Angelina Kent exchanged wedding vows in a small private ceremony at a quaint catholic Church with a priest Steve had known for a long time. Only close family and friends were present. They had a small private reception at a friend's private estate on a secluded beach. A few hours later, the new bride and groom flew by helicopter to a very exclusive resort on a private outer island for their honeymoon.

All the well wishers at the celebration noted that they had never seen Steve so happy and relaxed. They were truly happy for the couple.

And Steve and Izzy began life as newlyweds, completely in love, totally smitten with one another.


End file.
